Pig immune function is significantly affected by nutritional status, creating direct welfare benefits from optimising key micronutrients and dietary quality.
Nutritional optimisation for pig immunity represents a welfare and antibiotic stewardship opportunity with convergent benefits. Pigs whose diets are optimised for immune function rather than merely for growth rate show greater disease resilience, lower antibiotic requirements, and better welfare outcomes across the production cycle. The investment in higher-quality feed formulations is offset by reductions in veterinary costs, mortality, and antibiotic use that create economic alignment with welfare improvement. As antibiotic restrictions tighten globally, the economic case for nutritional immune support strengthens. Welfare-conscious pork production increasingly integrates nutritional optimisation as a core health management strategy rather than an optional premium.